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The weather has been beautiful here lately. You would never know it was winter, except for the lack of green grass. But it is almost February.

So in honor of February and Valentines Day, this month’s free desktop calendar is Valentine Rose. You may remember this photo from a few posts back.

You can download it here.

Well, the New Year was only about 5 hours in and I already had a few new experiences. Shouldn’t you have been sleeping you say? I wish I had been. But I was flying home from visiting family in Wisconsin.

We arrived at the airport at 5:08 am. Our plane was supposed to leave at 6 – we left at 7:30 because of a snow storm that seemed to come out of nowhere. But delay’s are nothing new. What was new was that I got to watching deicing for the first time and take off in a snow storm.

This was followed shortly by an other new experience. After getting rebooked, since we missed our connecting flight in Chicago, we found ourselves upgraded to business class and my first time in the exit row. Lots of extra leg room if you like that sort of thing. To me, it doesn’t matter so much since I usually have plenty of leg room anyway. I’d rather have more elbow room

So deicing and the exit row – new things on the first day of the new year. I know that doesn’t sound terribly exciting, but hey it better than being in my first plane crash.

That was a little while ago now, the new year continues to bring new challenges, up and downs and opportunities. One the new ventures I am embarking on is Real Estate Photography. While that will be separate from this website, I wanted to share the new addition to my services.

Another new thing I am embarking on is some creative re-imagining of my living and working spaces. You can see some of that thought process on Pintrest. I will share more about that moving forward.

The photo in today’s post is called Peaceful Creek. I took it in the middle of a Colorado snow storm. This is the Santa Fe trail, one of my favorites in Colorado Springs.

Here’s to the new year, full of possibilities and new experiences. And new places to take photos.

One of the things that is hardest for me … really for most of the people I know … is waiting. Waiting is a big part of life and a big part of photography. But waiting is really one of the best things to do in both also. Because as the saying goes “good things come to those who wait.”

But how does waiting work in photography? Waiting is especially important in nature and landscape photography because your subject matter is beyond your control. So you are waiting for the light to be just right or for the birds to land in front of your camera or the wildlife to look at you. But when you wait for the right moment, you get the most amazing shot and that moment is captured forever!

But the waiting isn’t passive. You have to go out at the right time to get the shot you want. If you want the shot of the sunset, you don’t go out at noon and waste the afternoon waiting for the sun to set. You go out just before sunset so you can have time to set up your shot with the perfect foreground.

Some planning tips for your next “waiting” adventure in photography:

1. Decide what photo you want.
2. Find a place that captures it and go there to scout it out. Don’t forget your camera – you can take pictures even on this venture. Find the area that captures your idea best.
3. Check the weather and the movement of the sun or moon and figure out when the light will be right for what you want. For example, if you want a sunset photo, figure out when the sun is setting.
4. Figure out how long it will take you to get to your ideal location. Drive time, hike time, etc. You will want to get there early so you can set up a tripod if necessary.
5. Then Wait for the right moment and snap your shot. Take several and move around a little to.

So waiting for the right moment is actually not waiting at all. It’s being attentive to the circumstances and planning so that you are ready when the right time arrives. So while we are “waiting” we can be thinking and dreaming of what’s ahead when the perfect time for the photograph or the life event comes.

A note about the photo: This photo is called Valentine Rose. I love it for the contrast between the red and black. It’s mesmerizing. It’s for sale on Etsy at the moment. And yes, Valentine’s is just around the corner!

It’s Christmas week! Time to pull out the camera and start taking all those family photos of togetherness and gift unwrapping. But taking those photos can be somewhat disappointing if you don’t know how to set up your shots. Never fear! A photographer is here Here are 5 quick and easy tips for your holiday photo snapping.

1. Never pose people in front of a window or other light source. What’s better is to pose them near a window and have the photographer stand with their back to the window. What does this do? The natural light from outside is a great way to light things so you get that lovely winter light falling on your friends and family faces instead of their backs. You always want the light in front of your subjects, not behind.

2. Learn how to use the red-eye reduction feature on your camera. It does wonders for reducing the ghastly red-eye in your otherwise very cute children. The way it works is that it will flash a couple of times before taking the actual photo which helps the eyes adjust to the bright light. Another way to reduce red-eye is to back up and stand at an angle. Use your zoom for the close up. Standing at an angle to the subjects eyes will help eliminate the flash going straight into their eyes and reflecting the red back. Even better, make sure your room is very well lit and don’t use the flash at all.

3. Center your subjects in your viewfinder. With digital cameras this will actually work. In olden days, centering things in your viewfinder resulted in an off-center photo because the viewfinder and lens were not looking at exactly the same thing. But with the advent of digital cameras they are. So make sure your tall Uncle Bob’s head is in the viewfinder and that everyone is centered in your frame.

4. Don’t have your subjects lean in. A lot of times people will cram together in uncomfortable ways to make sure everyone is in the photo. Generally, this isn’t necessary if you use tip number 3. Of course, you all love each other so you can still do the cute group hug photo.

5. Don’t lean back. This applies to the self-portrait using your arm as the tripod. You know the one where all your friends are together and you get the friend with the long arm to hold the camera out in front so you are all in the photo. You may have also noticed the sudden appearance of double chin on everyone. Eeekkk! We don’t want that! This is because everyone is straining to get as far away from the camera as possible so it will be in focus. It is a worthy endeavor to be sure, but unnecessary. Have people just hold their heads as they normally would. Another way to help this is to hold the camera higher so people look up.

These 5 simple tips will help with the holiday photo snapping.  Have a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

December begins this week. It has been nice to reflect on all that we are thankful for and to stop and rest. I hope you were able to do just that.

I made my pumpkin pie – it is pictured above. And to quote my brother, “This is how pumpkin pie is supposed to taste!” So everyone liked it. I am sure the chocolate crust didn’t hurt either. And the nice thing was that is was gluten free – so I could eat it too.

I am also happy to say that I got my first featured article. You can check it out over on the Heart Handmade blog. That is exciting over here in First Century Studios land!

And also, this Saturday is my last craft show of the year. So if you are in Ellicot, I hope you can stop by. The details are on the Shows page.

And of course before I forget again, check out December’s free Desktop calendar here.

The weather is getting cold and I have gotten to enjoy my fireplace a few times now. I love a warm fire. It one of the few things I like about cold weather.

In the summer, I want to stay outside in the sunshine. But in the winter, I can stay inside and make things without feeling like I am cheating on the sun. So I have been using my evenings to sew.

I have developed what might be bordering on an addiction to sewing – mostly thanks to my sewing friend extraordinaire, Pam.

I wanted to share some of those projects with you. There are 5 of them …. yep that was 5 …. and that’s not even all of them

These are in the order that I made them. First up is a lunch bag. It’s made from a shirt. I really liked the fabric but it didn’t fit correctly – so it gets a new life. I used the tutorial on this site: Oh, Fransson!.

Next was a make-up bag. This was also made from an old shirt. I love reusing things. This is the first time I have made something with a zipper. I made two and they snap together. I used the tutorial on this site: Flossie Teacakes.

Third, we have three tissue holders. I thought they were cute and always practical. I used this pattern. They were really, really easy to make, by the way.

Fourth, I made a drawstring bag. This is to go with the lunch bag actually. I wanted to have a lunch bag that could also hold my phone, glasses, etc in when I go to work. This bag holds those things and fits in the side of my lunch bag. I used the tutorial on this site: Sew Retro.

And lastly, I made this carrying bag, also from the above tutorial. I made it with handles and Velcro instead of as a drawstring. I made two of these actually. I saw this fabric at the store on sale and I really liked it.

I am still working on sewing projects too I have some sewing projects in mind that incorporate my photos too – so be looking for those to come.

I have been also busy with craft fairs and special order Christmas card and coasters. It has been nice to work on these next to my fire.

Hope you are staying warm too. What projects are you all working on?

The snow is starting to fall and the smell of pumpkin spice and peppermint fill the air. A sure fire sign that the holiday season is here. With it comes the inevitable, “What do I get people for Christmas!? Do I get dad the generic tie? Do I get mom some generic gloves? Oh and what do I get Aunt Sue?”

Well, how about something a little more unique? Did you know that all the photos on the First Century Studios website can be purchased? Photos like the one here called, “Golden Stream”. Furthermore, did you know that you can have them put onto a variety of very special things? You could choose a stone coaster, a frame-able Christmas card, a frame-able print, or other things that you dream up!

So take a look through the newly updated Portfolio and see if any photos fit your fancy.

Visit the Special Order Price List

Happy Fall to everyone. I got the opportunity to get out into the mountains this past weekend. What a beautiful day! And the trees were in their autumn glory. It was an incredible sight. And so I must share this one picture. I call it Autumn’s Arm. This photo is also this month’s desktop calendar. You can download that here.

I hope to get more of these fall photo’s up in the portfolio soon. But in the mean time I hope you enjoy this one.

It is time to start Christmas shopping too. No really it is This week is special because it’s my first craft fair of the season! So I hope all you Colorado Springs folks can make it out. It is at Rocky Mountain Calvary on Austin Bluffs and Academy. Friday from 5 pm – 8 pm and Saturday from 9am – 1 pm. Hope to see you there!

I just wanted to also remind you that you can special order things. If you see a photo on this site or you saw one last year and you would like to turn it into your Christmas gifts – just send me an email and we can get it for you.

Hope you are having a great fall day!

So we come to the end of our narrative, the last post for my trip to Virgina. This actually requires little explanation – so I will be quick

This group of photos is all flowers. Happy Spring going into Summer to you! These photos were shot in a variety of places: gardens in neighborhoods in Arlington, VA, in Bishop’s Garden at the National Cathedral, the Shenandoah National Park, and around Bryce Mountain Resort. Hope you enjoy them.

The photo above is called, Fairy Tale. You can see the rest of the photos on the Travel Log in the Portfolio Shop.

The end of May in Colorado Springs is a pretty fun time. Things start to turn green and thunderstorms abound. And by thunderstorms I don’t just mean the rain and lightning kind.

Colorado Springs happens to be home to the US Air Force Academy. Every year around this time, they have this little celebration known as graduation. A bunch of fourth year cadets become 2nd Lieutenants in the Air Force. And this little celebration gets some thunder to go with it. The thunder that goes with fighter jets naturally.

They fighter jets are called the Thunderbirds and are the Air Force’s demonstration team – much like the Navy’s Blue Angels. And the Thunderbirds have been flying around this morning while I worked – so I took some photos – well, what else would you expect me to do

So here’s the best one I got as they flew over my house.